There are at least a couple more colors that I could have pulled from here – there are touches of apricot, and of course a soft white would be ideal – but this is what I’m working with:
Silvie Shadow Floral scarf – Ted Baker
You don’t dress like a scientist…
But she studied Botany in college…
After she got her PhD in the DNA of flowering plants used in ornamental plantings in the 19th Century, people began to believe that she really did like flowers more than most people…
blouse – Vince; tee shirt – Master & Muse
In addition to teaching, she spent a lot of time looking for old flowering hedges. It was a normal weekend for her to prowl through abandoned farm sites, trying to find plants that had survived the last 150 years. She found Ireland a particularly delightful place to clamber about; the stone walls held secrets of floral botany that were impossible to imagine.
And when she was at the University, she always carried with her a sense of the floral – something strong, beautiful, softly-colored, but resistant to the elements…
It was always simple to find a gift for her – something with a flowering motif would be sure to please! And if it has some feeling of older times, more the better.
So tell me, is it nature or nurture? Before she was even born, they had determined that her name would be Rose…
love,
Janice
ohhh..!! this is so nice and exactly my cup of tea..!!!:)
lovely.. but 2 many skirts -i will change to another dress and dark grey pants..
And I imagine that somewhere she has some fatigue green khakis and sh*t-kicker boots for tromping around fields!
As a field biologist myself – absolutely! Though for me, fieldwork is where any sturdy pants and t-shirts go to die :-) I can't countenance buying clothes specifically for the field when they're going to be used for sliding around on muddy logs in the rain.
– Kaci
My, oh my. I do adore this set.
I'm a botanist myself – wild plants instead of horticulturals – but I too love floral/leafy prints and jewelry!
– Kaci
Janice – I adore this format. The story lines perfectly accentuate the clothes, and spark my imagination. I am even more excited to check for new posts now! Thank you,
I've been lurking for so long now and have learned so much that I'm sorry I haven't posted sooner to thank you. Starting with the scarf is very helpful. As one who most often wears denim (blue, white, black and gray), I'd love to see a more casual wardrobe starting with the scarf. Thank you!
I love that all of the outfits have a very subtle floral motif. I wonder if her colleagues and students catch on to it. I'm adding Ted Baker to my list of places to visit in Chicago next month.
Oh my. I'm brand new to your wonderful site (and am embarrassed to admit I don't know how I found my way here) & can honestly say I've never been so fascinated by anything in my life as I am by this whole 4X4 Wardrobe scheme. I'm alternating between reading your new posts & rummaging through the archives & my poor old (retired) engineer's brain is ticking over like a Lamborghini on jet-fuel — what a brilliant way to look at putting together a wardrobe collection! I don't ever wear scarves (have never liked them) & haven't worn pink in decades (and wore it rarely even then), but this most recent collection has me rethinking everything — everything! I'm still in the process of getting rid of "work" clothes [no longer even own a blazer or dress, which might have been going overboard just a bit]. Am now reassessing what I have in my closets versus what I need — I live in jeans & white tees, to be honest, with lots of black bits — wanting to pare down even more to the barest of bones just because I'm tired unto death of closet clutter. I'll keep my 7 black leather jackets & my (mumble-mumble) pairs of heeled boots & sandals [we all have our little weaknesses], but your examples have given me a whole new way of looking at things. And that violet blouse . . . I just . . . that blouse!
And I forgot to add that while I don't & won't wear scarves, I *do* sew — and that Ted Baker Silvie Shadow Floral scarf would make a fabulous cami. Buying 2 would be ideal (albeit fiscally extravagant with the Canadian dollar where it is) but with the judicious use of fabric (& perhaps plain black silk for the back), one would probably get the job done. And I'm also thinking the floral pattern would make the most delicious wallpaper in the world.
This gives me so many outift ideas for clothes I already own … But did have to get a Ted Baker scarf. Have been suffering non-buyer's remorse for a scarf I passed on 3 years ago. Think Ted Baker will fill that gap. Thank you, as always.
I also get a lot of ideas from this and the scarf is gorgeous!
Rather like Leslie, I'm a long time lurker, but this set has inspired me to comment. You have an amazing eye for colour and detail, and I really love the subtlety and elegance of the floral theme here.
Rather like Leslie, I'm a long time lurker, but this set has inspired me to comment. You have an amazing eye for colour and detail, and I really love the subtlety and elegance of the floral theme here.
It is so great that more lurkers are commenting. Everyone who loves style and beauty needs to know about the Vivienne files. That lace shirt with the shirt are exquisite. I think ted baker or someone makes floral printed pumps. In my imagination, this woman would have a pair .
Deb from Vancouver
I was thinking earlier how's nice it is to see new "faces" posting comments
This wardrobe has a real Victorian vibe – flowers, black, marcasite, black, lace, black. I think it would take a special person to pull it off.
I am SO HAPPY to see new commenters – please come back and share your thoughts and ideas with me!
big hugs all around,
Janice
Wish I could hit a button and transport this whole collection into my closet. So lovely!
Wish I could hit a button and transport this whole collection into my closet. So lovely!
So feminine and pretty! I LOVE that lace hem skirt! Swoon!! Great post as always!
Love your stories Janice! Keep them coming!
Your story telling is so charming. I've been following you for several years now and enjoy you just as much now as ever before. How you manage to keep expanding your concepts in more and more directions is a mystery to me. Thanks for being you!!!
I think this is my favorite set yet – love the dressy formality since so many capsules tend to be on the practical side. Of course, having said that, I'd love to see how you would translate this same aesthetic and color scheme to a more casual weekend capsule. Think brunch, museum, bookstore…. basically, all the things I like to do on a weekend….. – Queen Lucia